Star Crossed
by Emma8745
Summary: Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson, two celebrities who have never met, accidentally cross paths and suddenly the media has coined them as a new power couple. When they fake their relationship for publicity, will their fake romance become real or will they only see each other as friends? A/U
1. Chapter 1

**Here's a new fanfiction coming your way :) It won't be as long as some of my more recent fics, but give it a chance!**

**This is somewhat based on a Finchel Prompt on Tumblr, but I put my own twist on it :)**

**Disclaimer... I don't own glee.**

* * *

Rachel Berry glanced around the small grocery store for what seemed to be the millionth time since she entered the building. She hated being paranoid, but the nosy paparazzi left her no choice. If there was anything she couldn't stand, it was men with cameras following her constantly, needing to document her every move.

Rachel didn't have that much room to talk though, she always dreamed of being in the spot light. She always wanted to be the star of Broadway, being able to belt out a note in front of hundreds of people cheering her name. Only a few years prior, she finally made the move out to New York from a small town in Ohio, and was immediately cast as the lead in Funny Girl.

Since her debut on Broadway, she was certainly the center of attention, and she wasn't sure how much more of it she could take. It got to the point that photographers photographed her brushing her teeth through her bedroom window! After that little incident, her blinds remained shut.

When Rachel was satisfied that no one was following her through the little store, she continued her grocery shopping and began to select some fruits and vegetables. She analyzed the apple selection, grimacing when she noticed brown spots on the majority of the fruits. She supposed that was the price she had to pay for shopping at such a low key store.

Rachel finally noticed the perfect apple, round and fully green, resting on the top shelf. She stood on her toes and reached as high as her arms would let her, only to realize the apple was just out of her reach. Suddenly, she noticed a long arm extend from behind her, picking up the apple with ease and bringing it down from the shelf.

"Hey!" Rachel exclaimed angrily. "That was my apple!" She turned around to see the apple stealer, and try to in back the apple that was rightfully hers.

"Relax," the man chuckled, handing her the apple, "I was only getting it for you. It didn't look like you'd be reaching that shelf anytime soon."

Rachel gazed into the amber tinted eyes of the gorgeous man in front of her. She took the apple from his hands and felt her cheeks getting red from embarrassment. "Sorry. I suppose I may have overreacted a little."

"Don't worry about it," he replied with a smile. He grabbed a few apples of his own from the top shelf. "I better get going. These apples aren't going to eat themselves!"

"Bye," Rachel replied as he walked past her. She watched him as he got further and further away from her, and couldn't help but think that he looked awfully familiar. She couldn't quite remember where she knew him from. Maybe she saw him at a show once? Maybe he was on TV once? She scolded herself for not asking him for his name. Hopefully she would run into him again sooner or later.

* * *

Rachel was suddenly awakened by the sound of someone pounding on the door to her loft. She lazily looked at the clock on her bedside table, 7:38 AM. She groaned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, taking her time to wake up until another loud knock came. She swung herself out of bed and threw a robe over herself to hide her fluffy pink pajamas. Whoever was pounding at the door didn't need to see her pink puppy-dog decorated pajamas.

Once she reached the front door to her home, she gazed through the peep hole to see who woke her. Standing outside, impatiently looking down at her watch, was Olivia Winters, Rachel's publicist.

Rachel groaned loudly once more and pulled the door open, sending a glare to Olivia. "Why are you here? I thought I didn't have anything planned for the day. Remember all that talk we had about a day off?"

Olivia scoffed and walked into Rachel's living room. "Why didn't you tell me you knew Finn Hudson?" She took a seat on the couch and pulled her lap top out, before she began moving the mouse around frequently.

Rachel shut the door and locked it behind her as she scanned her memory for a Finn Hudson. When she was certain that she didn't know of the man she turned back to Olivia, "Who?"

"Finn Hudson," Olivia repeated, pointing to a picture on her laptop screen. "According to the latest news post you're mentioned in, you and Finn are an item."

Rachel rushed over to the lap top Olivia was holding out and took it into her hands. In the center of the screen was a picture of Rachel and the man from the grocery store the other day. The article read that she and the man were probably a new thing, and that the media couldn't want to see more of "Finchel."

Olivia snatched her lap top back from Rachel, "See, this is why I'm always telling you to be careful when you're out and about. You never knew when the paparazzi are going to come up and snap a picture like this. You need to be more aware of your surroundings."

Rachel sat on the leather couch next to Olivia and looked at the photo again. "I am carful. The paparazzi are never there, that's why I am always shopping at that store."

Olivia nodded her head, "They must have followed Finn there then."

"So, who is this Finn guy, and why would the paparazzi interested in him?" Rachel asked, wanting to figure out who the mystery man from the store was the day before. Whoever he was, he sure was friendly, and pretty handsome too.

"You seriously don't know who he is?" Olivia asked her, bewildered that Rachel hadn't heard of him.

"Well, when I saw him he looked kind of familiar," Rachel said, trying again to recall where she knew him from.

"He's only been on the news like 24/7. He's the new quarterback for the Giants," Olivia said. "I would imagine that the paparazzi are following him by the packs. He's fresh meat." The sound of her cell phone captured her attention and she immediately checked out of the conversation with Rachel.

Rachel stood up from the couch and walked into her kitchen, pulling out a container of fresh fruit from the refrigerator. "Do you want anything to eat?" She called to Olivia.

Olivia continued to type away at her smart phone, simply waving Rachel away with her hand.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and grabbed two bowls from the cabinet anyways. She scooped some fruit into each of the bowls and then put the rest back into the fridge. She then grabbed two forks from a drawer and carried the bowls out to the living room.

Just as Rachel returned to the living room, Olivia finished her texting conversation and gratefully accepted the fruit bowl. "Oh, thanks, Rachel, I'm starving!"

Rachel sat down again next to Olivia and began eating her breakfast. "So, who was that on the phone? Anyone important?"

Olivia finished chewing her orange slice before speaking. "It was actually Finn Hudson's publicist, Peter Connolly. He just saw the picture online today too, and said that he would love to have a meeting with us."

Rachel paused her eating and gave Olivia a questioning look. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"He just wants to meet the lady his client is supposedly dating," Olivia said. "We're just going to meet with him, that's all. What's the worst that could happen?"

Rachel thought about the idea of meeting with Finn's publicist. Olivia was right, there was no harm in meeting the guy just to see what he had to say. And plus, it would be quite the bonus if Finn was there as well. "Okay," Rachel spoke up finally, "I'll go. When are we meeting him?"

Olivia looked at her watch, "In exactly one hour. So hurry up and eat so you can get ready!"

Rachel nodded her head and put another forkful of fruit into her mouth. When she finished chewing her large bit she decided she was finished eating. She took Olivia's empty bowl and took them into the kitchen to place in the sink. Before she headed to her bedroom to finish getting ready she turned to face Olivia again, "For the record, he's not my boyfriend. We only met yesterday."

* * *

The first thing Rachel noticed upon walking into Mr. Connolly's office was that an athlete's publicist was much different than an actress' publicist. Or, perhaps the difference was just from Mr. Connolly being a male and Olivia being a female. Olivia's office was full of flowers and other decorative items. Mr. Connolly had sports trophies and posters of memorable athletes lining the walls.

Needless to say, Rachel was no longer sure if she would be willing to hear what Mr. Connolly had to say, whether it involved her or not.

Rachel and Olivia took a seat in the seats across from Mr. Connolly's office chair. He had stepped out of the room for a moment, but promised to return shortly.

"So, have you ever even heard of Mr. Connolly?" Rachel asked Olivia, watching through the windows to make sure no one could hear her.

Olivia nodded her head. "He's fairly new to the business, but I've heard that he knows what he's doing. You haven't heard anything negative about Finn have you? He must be doing a decent job."

Rachel shrugged her shoulders, "I haven't heard much about Finn at all, actually. Isn't it a publicist's job to make sure their clients name is out there? In a positive way that is."

"Don't be judgmental," Olivia scolded. "Finn's new to this world. Mr. Connolly probably hasn't had much of a chance to work with Finn's name. I bet he has a few ideas up his sleeve right now."

Rachel folded her arms across her chest. She knew that she was being rude to Mr. Connolly, even though he wasn't in the room, but the idea of not knowing what he had to say was starting to make her nervous. All she wanted was to know if Mr. Connolly planned on discussing with them. She wasn't a big fan of going into their meeting blindly.

"Good afternoon, ladies," a voice entered the room. A younger man entered the room and shut the door behind him. He wore a dark blue suit with a lighter blue, football decorated, tie around his neck.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Connolly," Olivia replied, extending her hand to Mr. Connolly.

"Oh, please, call me Peter. Mr. Connolly is my father's name," he replied, accepting Olivia's hand shake. He then turned to Rachel, "And if it isn't the incredibly talented Miss Rachel Berry, sitting right here, in my office!"

Rachel smiled, okay, maybe this guy wouldn't be so bad after all. She shook his hand as well and waited for him to get settled into his seat.

"So, Rachel, I must say, my daughter and I went to see you in Funny Girl, and you did a marvelous job," Peter Connolly said. "It was an absolutely breathtaking performance."

Rachel smiled, "Thank you so much. It means a lot to hear you say that!"

"Of course! My daughter is quite the Barbara Streisand fan herself, and I'll have you know that she told me you were the best Barbara portrayal yet," Peter continued on.

"Oh, thanks again!" Rachel replied. "How old is your daughter? Does she have any interests in the performing arts?"

"My daughter is 13, and she is currently starring in her school's production of _High School Musical,_" Peter answered.

"How nice," Rachel replied, almost positive that her and Peter wouldn't have a bit of trouble getting along.

"Anyway," Peter cleared his throat, "to the real reason why I invited both of you ladies into my office today." He opened a folder and pulled out a piece of paper to show Olivia and Rachel. It was the picture of Finn and Rachel at the store the day before. "I'm sure you're both well aware of this photo and how it's been bringing in a great deal of attention to Rachel and my client."

"Yes," Olivia replied, "Rachel and I were just discussing the photo earlier this morning."

"As were Mr. Hudson and I," Peter replied. "He brought it to my attention that there is no real relationship going on between Rachel and himself. This is correct, right Rachel?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Yes that is correct. Finn and I bumped into each other on accident, and a few paparazzi happened to be around when it happened. One thing led to another, and now we are apparently a new power couple."

"Yes. I am sure you are both well aware that as Finn's publicist, it is my job to bring as much positive attention to Finn as I possibly can. With a big game coming up soon, and Finn being fairly new to the team, I was not given much time to get his name out there," Peter told them.

"So, what does all this have to do with Rachel?" Olivia asked him.

"Well, seeing how a potential relationship between our clients brought so much positive attention between the two, and knowing that both could use some free publicity… Finn with the game and Rachel being in between shows at the moment, I was wondering if faking a real relationship between the two from now until the game would be an idea," Peter explained.

"So, you're asking if it would be okay to have Finn and Rachel pretend to date each other for a while? Just for some free publicity?" Olivia asked Peter, who responded with a nod.

Rachel scoffed. Force her to fake a relationship with a guy she didn't know? Ha! Olivia would never put her through that!

"That sounds like a fantastic idea!" Olivia replied.

_Wait. What?_

"Olivia!" Rachel said in horror, grasping the attention of both Peter and Olivia.

"Rachel, he has a good point. With Funny Girl being over, you could really use some publicity until you're able to land another job," Olivia told her. "It'll do wonders for your career."

Rachel exchanged glances between the two people seated around her. "Does Finn know about this relationship?"

"Yes, I discussed it with him this morning," Peter replied. "He was a tad hesitant at first, but when I brought it to his attention that he really needed more sponsors if he wanted his career to go the distance, he agreed to the offer."

Rachel sighed for she wasn't so sure about this little agreement. However, it wouldn't be too awfully bad getting to spend more time with Finn. And, it would help her career out immensely.

Rachel looked between Olivia and Peter one last time before voicing her decision. "Okay. I'm in."

* * *

**Please review :)**

**Should I continue? Or scrap it?**


	2. Chapter 2

"Is everything okay with you? You haven't said a word since we left Peter Connolly's office," Olivia said to Rachel in the car as they rode back to Rachel's place. "Is this about the deal we made at that Hudson guy?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and tore her gaze from the window, instead turning to Olivia. "I know this whole arrangement is going to help out my career in the long run, but I'm still feeling a little hesitant about it all." She sighed and tried to gather her thoughts quickly. "It's only a temporary thing, right?"

Olivia nodded her head quickly. "Yes, Rachel, of course it's only temporary. I get it. You're young, and aren't looking to be tied down to someone, especially someone you didn't choose. Besides the game will be here before you know it, and you'll be free once again."

Rachel let her words sink in, feeling a tad bit better. "Okay, yeah, that makes me feel better." She cleared her throat before continuing on again. "So, when does this whole relationship between Finn and I really start? I mean, you have to remember that Finn and I still haven't even officially met yet."

"Yes, I am fully aware of that. I was just thinking that we could probably arrange for you and Finn to attend the Floral Ball together this Friday. It'll be a good way to make your first real appearance together to the public, being all dressed up and everything," Olivia explained. "But I was planning on emailing Peter when we get back about maybe arranging something beforehand too so the two of you can become properly acquainted and get to know each other, so you'll be prepared for any spontaneous interviews on the red carpet."

"Okay," Rachel said, "that sounds good." She smiled to Olivia, "I trust whatever you decide to do. I know I'm in good hands."

* * *

Rachel and Olivia walled into Rachel's apartment together after they were dropped off in front of the building. Rachel immediately walked into the kitchen and got out some ingredients to make herself some Tetrazzini for lunch.

"What are you doing?" Olivia asked once she saw Rachel's actions.

"Making lunch?" Rachel asked with a questioning tone. "Is there a problem with that?"

"I just emailed Peter about setting up something for you and Finn to meet. What if this involves getting lunch?" Olivia asked.

"Then I'll only eat half and save the rest for later, so I'll be hungry enough for lunch," Rachel answered, continuing to prepare her food. "Does that sound fair?"

Olivia sat down at the island centered in Rachel's kitchen, "Fine, do what you want." She started typing away on her smart phone. "And they told me never to go with a stubborn client."

Rachel purposely ignored Olivia's last comment and continued with her lunch. She set the noodles out to boil and gathered all the other necessary ingredients.

"So, Peter Connolly seemed pretty cool," Rachel said, stirring the noodles slowly as she spoke. "What did you think of him?"

Olivia finished typing out a message before looking up at Rachel, "Yeah, I agree. He's new to the business, but I think he knows what he's doing. At least he gave off the impression that he did."

Rachel nodded her head, "I think Finn will go far with Peter on his team. Good workers really makes a difference in a career. Remember that one girl I went to college with? Mercedes Jones? She set out to be on Broadway too, but signed off with the wrong company. It was only a matter of months before she quit them. She had the talent, but not the right people. Last I heard she moved out to LA to work on a singing career. I think she's doing quite well."

"That's nice," Olivia replied, only half invested in the conversation. She finally turned back to Rachel and looked at the pot on the stove. "Hey, do you have any more of that stuff to cook?"

Rachel looked at the half boiled noodles and nodded her head. "Yeah, why? Do you want some?"

"Yes, and so does Peter and Finn. They're coming over here for lunch," Olivia said, quickly turning back to her phone.

* * *

It wasn't too much longer until Rachel heard a series of several knocks on her apartment door. She couldn't believe that Olivia invited them over to her home without her consent. Sure, Rachel was happy that she would be able to actually get to know her so called boyfriend before actually beginning their relationship, but it would have been nice to meet them in a different setting.

Rachel turned down the temperature and rushed over to the door, wanting to open it before Olivia could. She flattened her hair with her hands and collected herself before she pulled the door open, revealing the two men standing in the hall.

"Hello, again, ladies," Peter greeted, smiling towards Olivia and Rachel.

Rachel politely smiled back, slowly letting her eyes drift from Peter to the man standing behind him. She locked eyes with Finn again, feeling a similar spark to the one she did the previous day in the store.

"Hello, Peter," Olivia said, "And Finn, it is nice to finally meet you."

"Hello, Olivia," Finn replied, offering his hand for her to shake. "It is nice to meet you too."

"Well, there's no need for the two of you to just stand out there like doormats, please, come in," Olivia said, hinting to Rachel to open the door wider to allow them entrance.

Rachel did as she was told, and invited Peter and Finn in to her loft. Peter immediately headed over to the living room with Olivia, probably to discuss some key details in the relationship between Finn and Rachel. Finn walked in, but instead of following Peter into the living room he followed closely behind Rachel to the kitchen, where she continued to cook their meals.

"You know, when I helped you out with that apple yesterday, I had no idea it would land us in this mess," Finn said, leaning up against the countertop. "I kind of feel like this is all my fault."

Rachel paused her stirring of the food and looked up at Finn, "I wasn't blaming you, at all. This arrangement is only for a couple weeks anyways, it might end up being kind of fun."

He smiled for he was thankful that Rachel had such a good attitude about their predicament. "So, you're on Broadway?" He wasn't quite sure what else to say, but he figured starting off by getting to know each other was good enough.

Rachel nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yes, I am. I finished up Funny Girl not too long ago, and now I'm just waiting for some more auditions to come up."

"Funny Girl?" Finn asked, "My brother is always watching that one. I've seen parts of it, and it's not bad."

"Your brother is interested in Broadway?" Rachel asked.

"Yes," Finn replied. "He just graduated college and majored in fashion, he's looking to become a costume designer for some of the shows here in New York. His boyfriend just graduated from NYADA, and is about to start auditioning for some roles."

"How neat?" Rachel mused. "Maybe someday I'll get to work with your brother backstage someday. Maybe he'll be my next designer."

"He'd be thrilled," Finn said. "When he saw the papers this morning he called me right away. He's actually a pretty big fan of yours, and was pretty upset to find out nothing real was going on."

"He's a fan? I can't wait to meet him!" Rachel exclaimed, feeling even better about this whole relationship thing with Finn.

"Believe me," Finn replied, "He'll be excited to meet you too. Anyway, tell me more about your family. What made you want to get into Broadway and stuff?"

Rachel lightly shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know, I guess I've always dreamed of being on Broadway. Ever since I was a little girl I imagined my name being in the spotlight. My dads, however, didn't exactly see things the same way."

"They didn't support your dreams?" Finn asked her.

"It was more than just that," Rachel replied, her eyes focused on the food she was stirring around. "They thought the singing, dancing, and acting obsession I had was just a faze all girls went through, so they signed me up for multiple classes, assuming I'd participate for a few years and then drop out when I was older. Much to their dismay, however, I took a liking to them and continued the classes through high school. My dads are both lawyers in the state of Ohio, and they're pretty well known, actually. It was always they're dream for me to follow their footsteps."

"So what happened? Are they accepting of your Broadway dreams at all?" Finn asked, taking a real and genuine interest in her life story.

"No, they're not," Rachel said sadly, slumping over the stove, stirring slowly. "My junior year of high school they had college visits to all the best law schools in the state of Ohio. We went, and they were all very nice, but none offered a theatre program. So, I applied to college that spring, and when my acceptance letter arrived my dads opened the letter. I can still see the looks on their faces when they read that I had been accepted to NYADA, and never even applied to the schools in Ohio."

"What did they do?" Finn asked her, his heart hurting for her.

"They acted casual until graduation and then gave me an ultimatum," Rachel answered, finally looking at Finn. "Either I stay with them and got to law school, or I go to New York completely on my own. No financial help, no support, nothing. I think they were secretly hoping I'd fail so I'd come running back, and get the 'I told you so' of a lifetime. However, here I am, having recently starred in the revival of Funny Girl."

"Have they contacted you since?" Finn asked her, nervous for the answer.

Rachel shook her head, "No, I haven't talked to them since I left. When I first moved out here, things were hard and really lonely. At least they were until I found Olivia and my manager, Lola. They saw some real potential in me, and got me to where I am today. Honestly, if it wasn't for them, I'd probably be in some courtroom right now, defending a case I couldn't care less about."

Finn gave her a sympathetic look, his family had always been so supportive of him, and it was hard to imagine a world without them around. He looked into her eyes and stepped a bit closer to her, "For what it's worth, I think you're very talented, and that you would have made it regardless of the connections you made."

Rachel smiled at him. Finn was one of the few people who had come into her life and seemed to actually believe in her and her talent. Sure, she had her fans, but it was nice to have someone believe in her, on a more personal level. "Thank you, Finn." She mentally noted their proximity, and almost thought they might be inching towards something real. She almost thought it'd be acceptable to lean up right then and there and kiss him, had Peter and Olivia not been in the next room and had Finn's cell phone not start to ring at that exact moment.

Finn stepped away and pulled his phone out of his pocket, focusing on the screen. He typed a quick response before jamming the phone back into his pocket.

"Anyone important?" Rachel asked, finally getting back to her cooking, pleased that the lunch as finally ready to be served.

"Uh, yeah," Finn replied awkwardly. "That was my girlfriend."

* * *

**Review :)**

**I have this whole story planned out from start to finish, so I'm hoping to have it all posted fairly quickly :) **


	3. Chapter 3

"The night has finally arrived. All the stars have gathered around here at the Floral Ball to give back and help out all our local charities," Carly Banks, one of New York's most famous gossip reporters, said to her camera. "I am currently standing on the red carpet along with many of the stars, and might I say they all look fabulous!" He gaze shifted out to the road to all the oncoming limousines. "Oh, look, here comes New York's newest power couple, Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry. This will be their first real appearance in public and we can't wait to see how adorable the two are together."

* * *

Rachel sat inside the limo between Finn and Olivia, with Peter sitting across from them. She felt her heart starting to race as the red carpet came into view from the tinted limo windows.

"You two are going to do great," Olivia commented, mainly to calm Rachel's heightened nerves. "Hollywood is just going to fall in love with you two. I can feel it."

The limo came to a stop in front of the red carpet entrance and all the photographers lined up with their cameras ready.

Finn grabbed onto Rachel's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You ready?"

Rachel smiled up to him, appreciating his gesture more than he knew, "As ready as I'll ever be."

The door to the limo opened up and Rachel took a deep breath before they began to scoot out of the limo. Finn stepped out first and held out his hand to help Rachel out. She stepped out of the limo and was immediately blinded by camera flashes going off in her face. Finn rested his hand on her back as they walked through the chaos together, trying to give each camera an award winning smile.

Rachel loved the feeling on his hands on her back, any touch from him really was enough to make her go weak at the knees. Her mind flickered back to the events of the day before, the events that caused her to have a restless night's sleep.

He had a girlfriend.

She was actually feeling something real towards him, but he was unavailable. Of course he did, it was absolutely just her luck. And to make things worse, she never even got a chance to talk about it with him. Just after he had received the phone call from his girlfriend, Olivia and Peter had interrupted them and they started lunch. Rachel wasn't even able to learn the name of his girlfriend. Not that she really wanted any specific details, but it'd be nice to know what she was up against.

They finished their walk, are turned to pose together for a few pictures. Finn wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and Rachel wrapped her arms around his waist. She inhaled deeply, smelling his cologne and closing her eyes momentarily in pure contentment.

As the next limo pulled up, capturing the attention of the photographers, Rachel and Finn were able to leave the spot light, and head inside.

They walked inside, hand in hand, to make their relationship seem real. It was a large room with circular tables everywhere and a large buffet section in the back. Finn and Rachel located their assigned table, and sat down, quickly noticing that the other occupants of their table had no yet arrived. They sat down, and looked around the room at all the other guests of the Floral Ball.

"So," Rachel began, not really wanting to beat around the bush, "You have a girlfriend."

Finn nodded his head and faced Rachel, "Yeah, I was wondering when you were going to ask about her."

"I'm assuming that no one really knows about her, considering the fact that half the country seems to think that you're dating me," Rachel said.

"We haven't been dating for that long," Finn said, "and she's not exactly famous, and I didn't want to bring her into the spot light so soon in our relationship, cause, you know, it can be a little overwhelming."

"What does she think about us?" Rachel asked him, taking a small sip of her water that was already on the table. "She can't be too fond of your newfound relationship with another girl."

Finn chuckled and nodded his head, "Yeah, she's not too crazy about the idea, but she knows why I'm doing it and that it won't be for long, so she's cool about it all."

"Well that's nice that she's so understanding," Rachel replied. "What's her name? How'd you meet her?"

"Her name's Quinn. Quinn Fabray," Finn told her. "And she's best friends with a girlfriend of one of the guys on the team. We met at a party not too long ago."

"That's nice," Rachel said, not meaning a word of anything that she was saying.

"What about you?" Finn asked, transferring the topic of the conversation from him to her, "Did you have anyone special in your life before you met me?"

Rachel shook her head, "Nope. I've only really had one serious relationship and we broke up shortly after college ended."

"What happened?" Finn asked her, "If you don't mind me asking."

"It's fine," Rachel told him, "and I guess we just wanted different things. I was on Broadway because I loved it. The singing and the acting was all so incredible to me. Jesse, my ex, was on Broadway because he wanted to be famous. He just wanted to be in the spotlight, it just so happened that he had the talent to get him there."

"Jesse? As in Jesse St. James?" Finn questioned, receiving a nod from Rachel. "I've heard my brother talk about him before. He's not a big fan of Jesse. It's like what you just said. Kurt said he always saw Jesse as being nothing but an arrogant rich kid who was just always going to get everything he wanted."

Rachel nodded her head, "And that's exactly who he is. I don't know what I ever saw in him."

Finn shrugged his shoulders, "Don't beat yourself up about it. We all make some bad decisions when it comes to love, don't we?"

Rachel smiled over at him, happy that he actually seemed to understand her. Not many people did, and it was a very relieving feeling when someone finally did.

The rest of the night wet by in a blur. Trips and material items were auctioned off throughout the night, and all the money made was then shipped off to all the local charities. The Floral Ball wasn't anything too exciting, but it was for a good cause, and Rachel was happy to donate. Rachel ended up purchasing a new set of silverware for the kitchen.

Closer to the end of the night Rachel ran into Thomas Landen, a costar from when she was on Funny Girl. She hadn't seen him in a while and barely recognized him with his newfound facial hair and different hairstyle.

"Rachel?" he called out to her, making her turn in his direction. She had been casually strolling around the ballroom, her hand tucked away in Finn's larger one.

She faced him, taking a moment to recognize his face, "Thomas? Is that you?" She pulled Finn over to her old friend with her, only dropping his hand to give Thomas a quick hug.

"Yep, it's me," he replied, running his thumb and index finger along is jaw. "I've been getting that reaction a lot this evening, actually."

Rachel slipped her hand back into Finn's, more based on instinct and not because she had to pretend to date him. "Finn, this is Thomas. We worked on Funny Girl together." She turned to Thomas again, "And, Thomas, this is my boyfriend, Finn."

"Ah, yes, the boyfriend. I've seen the pictures everywhere," Thomas chuckled, shaking Finn's hand, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Finn returned the handshake, "Yes, you too."

"So," Thomas said, "How did the two of you meet?"

"We actually met in a small grocery store on the edge of town," Rachel said, snuggling more into Finn's side. "The pictures that the paparazzi took of us was our first meeting, actually. After that we got to talking, and here we are. Never would have thought that the paparazzi could bring me so much happiness."

"Oh, that's such a sweet story," Thomas said. "And such a unique way to meet your significant other. I wish the two of you nothing but the best."

"Thank you, Thomas," Rachel replied. Thomas then parted ways with the couple, leaving them alone once more.

"People seem to really be buying this whole relationship thing," Finn pointed out. "I was kind of worried about that at first, but it's actually really working."

Rachel nodded, her hands reaching up to straighten his tie. "I know. Hopefully it all works out. It's been some time since Funny Girl ended, and I'm going to need to start auditioning again before my name fades away."

"Don't worry too much about that," Finn said, "You're Rachel Berry, who could ever forget about you?"

"There are certainly some people who could easily forget about me," Rachel replied sadly, her mind drifting off towards her dads.

"Hey," Finn said, making her look up into his eyes, "I don't know how much it's worth, but I'm never going to forget about you."

A small smile came to Rachel's lips and she leaned up to wrap herself in one of his hugs, "Thank you so much, Finn."

* * *

"You really didn't have to walk me all the way to my door, Finn," Rachel said at the end of the evening. She stood next to her front door of her building, glancing back at Peter and Olivia who were waiting in the car.

He shrugged his shoulders, "I wanted to. It's the least I could do for my _girlfriend,_ right?"

She smiled, and laughed a little, reaching up to give him another hug. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the glimmer of a camera lens hidden in the bushes. She would have been extremely upset, had she not had a brilliant idea come her way.

"There's a camera man in the bushes," Rachel whispered into his ear, holding tightly onto him so he wouldn't turn to look. "Shouldn't we at least try to make this look like an ending to a real date?"

It took him a second to catch on to what she meant, but when he did, his eyebrows raised and a smile came to his face. He slowly leaned down, gently placing his lips onto hers, sending a firework show into both of their minds.

Rachel was only expecting a small peck from him, and was caught off guard when Finn suddenly deepened the kiss, not that she was complaining. After what seemed like an eternity, he pulled away, pressing his forehead against hers and kissing the tip of her nose.

"I guess I'll see you later?" Finn said as he tried to catch his breath.

Rachel nodded her head, still at a loss of words from their kiss. She felt Finn pull away from her and watched as he walked back to the waiting car.

She waved goodbye as the car drove off before she walked inside, replaying the kiss over and over in her head.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

Rachel had seen her name on the online news articles before. During her time on Funny Girl she actually got used to seeing her face on her computer monitor and her name in big letters on a daily basis. She would get fan mail, praising her for her portrayal of Fanny Brice and her twitter feed would be on fire. All of that was nothing out of the ordinary in a day in the life of Rachel Berry.

What she wasn't used to was seeing herself in the news for something other than her latest work on Broadway. Suddenly, she was looking at a picture of herself online, locked in a passionate embrace with Finn Hudson outside of her building. The tabloids were absolutely loving their relationship, and her twitter feed was even more on fire than it was during her Funny Girl days.

As she would scroll through her twitter account, she would see edited photos of her and Finn, the caption reading "Finchel Forever" or "New OTP". She figured she'd be getting some new publicity for her newfound relationship with Finn, but she never could have imagined the amount she ended up getting.

She heard the sound of her cell phone ringing, and she glanced over at the caller ID. Her eyes widened as she read "Finn Hudson" across the screen. She picked up the phone and hit the answer button before pressing it up against her ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Rach," his voice came through the phone, "What are you up to today?"

"Not much," she answered, "Why do you ask?" She knew it was ridiculous to assume he was calling to ask her on a date considering he already had a girlfriend, but a girl could always dream.

"My mom and stepdad are having a barbecue at their house this afternoon," he replied. "They told me to invite you over."

Her heart rate sped up from anxiety. She wasn't sure if she was quite ready to meet his parents, especially if they thought she was the girlfriend. "Oh, Finn, I don't know."

"Relax, Rachel, everyone who will be there already knows that you're just a friend," he said in attempt to sway her opinion. "This invitation is just as friends. It'll be a low key event, no paparazzi, no lying. What do you say? Will you come over?"

Rachel thought about his offer for a moment, thinking that a nice low key barbeque did sound pretty nice. "Okay, I'll come. It sounds like fun."

"Cool," he said. "Both and my brother and my mom have been dying to meet you. They'll be thrilled that you're coming."

Rachel smiled, feeling much better about the event. "When and where?"

Finn quickly gave Rachel the time and the address of his parent's house.

"Okay," Rachel replied, writing down the information he just gave her, "I guess I'll see you later today then!" She hung up the phone and read over the words she had just written down again. Spending an afternoon with Finn? She couldn't wait.

* * *

Instead of having her usual driver take her to the barbeque that afternoon, Rachel decided to drive herself. It wasn't that often that she went anywhere just for fun, so she usually had her driver take her. It wasn't that she didn't like to, it was just because she never had much of a reason to drive herself.

Much to Rachel's surprise, the address she was given was not a very far drive from her house at all. It only took her about 20 minutes to drive, minus the traffic time she had to endure to get out of the city.

Finn's mother's house was very nice, in Rachel's opinion. It was a decent size and had two stories and a fenced in backyard. The driveway was full plus some cars lining the street. As Rachel stepped out of her car, she heard a flood of voices coming from the backyard, and she immediately started walking towards the sound.

She walked through the gate and headed towards the patio area of the backyard, where everyone was gathered. She looked for someone she'd recognize, but couldn't find anyone in the crowd. Before she could find the door to go check inside for Finn, a middle aged woman approached her, smiling widely.

"Hello, Rachel!" the woman exclaimed, ushering Rachel to come closer to her. "I'm Carole, Finn's mother, it is so nice to finally meet you. Finn's told us so much about you!"

Rachel smiled in return, shaking Carole's hand. Looking at Carole, she could definitely tell that the two of them were related. Most of their features resembled each other, except for the height. That was probably from Finn's dad.

"Hi, Carole," Rachel replied, "It's nice to meet you too. Thank you for inviting me today."

"Of course! There's really no need to thank us," Carole said. "Finn's been saying how much he enjoys spending time with you, and we just had to meet you! Plus, Kurt's just been itching to meet you. Has Finn mentioned Kurt yet?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Oh, yes. Finn's told me about Kurt. I'm actually really excited to meet Kurt too."

Carole beamed, "How wonderful." Carole looked around the patio area, "Last time I saw the boys they were inside, letting such a wonderful day pass them by. I'll show you the way."

Rachel followed Carole inside, admiring the beautiful house. They maneuvered through the home until they reached the living room. Rachel's eyes immediately found Finn, as he was lounging on the couch, sitting between a couple guys who she assumed where on the team with him. She recognized them from TV as well.

Carole cleared her throat, capturing the attention of the three guys on the couch. "Finn? Rachel's here." Rachel noticed Finn's eyes light up as he saw her, and he stood up from the couch.

"Hey, Rachel," Finn greeted, walking up to her. "I'm glad you made it."

"Of course," she replied happily, her eyes drifting over to the guys on the couch. They were staring at her, one with a friendly smile on his face and the other actually seemed to be checking her out. She did not appreciate the action.

Finn walked her over to the couch, and stood in front of his friends. "Guys, you know Rachel," he said to them, and they nodded their heads. Finn turned to Rachel again, "Rachel, these are a couple of my friends from the team." He motioned to the blonde friendly one, "This is Sam." Next he motioned to the one sporting a Mohawk where his hair was supposed to be, "And this is Puck."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Rachel said to Sam and Puck, shaking each of their hands.

"You too," Sam replied, shaking her hand. "It's really cool that you're helping Finn out like this. He really needed a stronger fan base before the first game, especially with him being the quarterback, and it's actually been working out well since you came along."

"Yeah, there's nothing like running out onto the field and hearing people cheering your name. It's quite the confidence booster," Puck said.

"Well, then it's my pleasure," Rachel replied, sitting down on the couch next to Sam, motioning for Finn to sit next to her. She smiled when he did before turning back to Puck and Sam. "So, did you two know Finn before he joined the team?"

"Yeah," Finn said, causing Rachel to turn to face him again. "Puck and I actually grew up together."

"Oh, really?" Rachel asked him.

"Yep," Puck said, "when I heard we were shopping for a new quarterback, I told coach that I knew just who to call."

"That's nice," Rachel commented. "Did you know them beforehand too?" She asked Sam.

Sam nodded, "I knew them before Finn joined the team, but not that long before. My girlfriend and Finn's girlfriend are friends."

Rachel nodded, recalling Finn's story on how he met Quinn.

"Speaking of my girlfriend," Sam said, looking around him, "where did she and Quinn run off to now?"

"They're upstairs," a voice said.

Rachel turned her head to see where the unknown voice was coming from. She watched as a guy wearing the most unique outfit she had ever seen walked into the room. His hair was styles perfectly and he had his nose stuffed into his phone. He glanced up, and his eyes widened as they made contact with Rachel's.

"Rachel Berry?" he asked, putting his phone in his pocket and quickly approaching Rachel. "You made it!"

Rachel gave Finn a questioning look as she suddenly found herself shaking hands with the mystery man.

"Rachel, this is my stepbrother, Kurt," Finn said.

"Oh," Rachel said, turning back to the man in front of her. "You're Kurt? It's so nice to meet you!"

"No, no," Kurt replied, "The pleasure is all mine." Kurt took a seat on the couch as well. "When Finn said that you were pretending to be his new girlfriend, I just couldn't believe it! I must say, I adore your work on Broadway."

"Thank you," Rachel said with a smile. "But I must say, it's astounding that you're a costume designer on Broadway! That must be incredible. I can't imagine the kind of people you get to meet."

"Well, to put it honestly, the people I meet are just like you," Kurt said. "You are the newest and biggest face of show business."

Before Kurt and Rachel could continue their chat, Carole came into the living room and clapped her hands together. "Okay, everyone, come outside! It's time to eat!"

"Finally!" Puck and Sam both exclaimed at the same time, practically running out the door.

Kurt stood up with Finn and Rachel, "You are just going to love the food here, Rachel. It's to die for."

Rachel smiled, "Before I go out, do you mind pointing me towards the bathroom?"

"Oh, yeah," Finn said, "I think my uncle's in the main floor one so you'll have to go upstairs. You can use the one in my old bedroom. It's the third door on the right."

"Thanks, Finn," Rachel said. "I'll see the two of you outside in a few minutes." She turned around and started to walk up the long staircase, finding herself in a long hallway. She smiled as she saw pictures of both Finn and Kurt when they were younger lining the walls.

As she passed the second door on the right, she stopped, because she heard a new set of voices coming from inside the room. The door was barely cracked open, and Rachel peaked in, looking to see if she knew the people who were occupying the room.

Inside, Rachel saw two girls, sitting side by side on a couch. The girl on the left had long, gorgeous dark colored hair, and the girl on the right was shorter blonde hair. Rachel leaned in closer, allowing her to hear what the two girls were saying.

"You know he's only doing it to help out his career," the darker haired girl said. "Finn would never hurt you intentionally."

"Yes, I know that," the blonde girl replied, "It's just a little unsettling to wake up and see pictures of my boyfriend lip locking with some other girl."

It wasn't hard for Rachel to put two and two together from the little information they had already given her. The two girls in the room were the girlfriends of Finn and Sam. Quinn on the right and Sam's girlfriend, she thought she heard him mention the name Santana, on the left.

"Still, the girl named Santana said, "You shouldn't have done what you did. What do you think Finn's going to do when he finds out?"

"Nothing, because he's not going to find out," Quinn said. "He can't find out. It'll ruin everything. We're just going to go on with our lives like nothing ever even happened."

"You don't have to worry about me spilling anything," Santana said. "But you have to remember that I'm not the only one who knows. How are you going to keep Puckerman quiet?"

"You don't think he'd say anything, do you?" Quinn asked, looking nervous.

"Quinnie, that boy could barely keep Sam's surprise birthday party last year a secret. You really think he'll keep the fact that you slept with him a secret?"

Rachel's eyes widened and she quickly stepped back from the door, processing all this new information.

Quinn _cheated_ on Finn.

_Quinn cheated _on Finn.

_Quinn cheated _on… _Finn._

Oh crap.

* * *

**Review :)**

**For the reader requesting a scene from Finn's point of view, thank you for the suggestion, but I'm not a big fan of writing from a guy's perspective, simply because it's harder for me to get into character. However, soon enough Finn will tell Rachel exactly how he feels, so don't worry, the answers you are requesting are coming up shorty :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five :)**

**Before I start, I want to thank everyone who has been reviewing this story :) I wasn't sure if anyone would like this story when I started it, and I'm so glad that you all do like it!**

* * *

Rachel paced around the empty main floor living room, her hand placed on her heated forehead. She felt like she was about to pass out. She _hated_ knowing information she wasn't supposed to know. It made her feel sick. She hated having the burden of figuring out what to do with the new information.

_Quinn cheated on Finn._

She should be ecstatic, right? She liked Finn, and now was her chance to have him all to herself. But something didn't feel right to her. Finn and Puck mentioned that they were best friends since they were children. Would Puck really do such a horrible thing to his best friend? There had to be another side to the story. Telling Finn would not only alter his relationship with Quinn, but also his friendship with Puck. Was it really fair for her to tell Finn without speaking with Puckerman first?

No, it wasn't fair.

Having come to that conclusion, she walked out the door to the outside patio in search for Puckerman. Surprisingly enough, she spotted him right away in the midst of the crowd, chatting away with Sam and a few other guys who seemed to be on the team.

Rachel walked across the area to the group of guys, gently tapping on Puck's shoulder to get his attention.

He turned around, "Oh, hey, Rachel. What's up?"

"Can I talk to you? Please? It's important," she requested.

Puckerman, seeing the urgency in her eyes, nodded his head. "Yes, sure." He turned to the group of guys, "I'll be back." He followed Rachel to the back of the yard where a porch swing sat, and was almost blocked off from the rest of the yard. They sat down on the seat and Puck turned to Rachel, "What's going on?"

She took a deep breath, wondering just how blunt she should be with the situation. "I went upstairs, just a few minutes ago to use the restroom, and I overheard a conversation up there that I'm sure I wasn't supposed to hear."

He nodded, not sure where Rachel was taking things, "And…?"

"It was Quinn and Santana talking," Rachel said, not wanting to rip the band aid off too quickly. "About you."

"Oh," Puck replied, a glimpse of worry in his eyes, but he played it off coolly. "What about me? Did they say anything?"

"Puck," Rachel started, "Did Quinn cheat on Finn… with you?"

A more prominent glimmer of sadness washed over his face and he barely nodded his head. "It was a mistake. I big mistake." He shifted around in his seat. "We were at a party, right after the pictures of you and Finn first came out. I was drunk out of my mind, and Quinn was all upset about everything. She came on to me, I know I'm guilty of following through with things, but she started it. Had I been sober enough to stop it, I would."

"Are you planning on telling Finn?" Rachel asked.

Puck nodded his head, "Quinn keeps telling me not to, but I am. She keeps begging me to throw it in the vault, but I can't do that. I would have told him the morning after, but the games coming up, and I don't want to mess with his head. I swear, Rachel, I'm going to tell him right after the game ends. Please don't say anything. I want him to hear it from me."

Rachel nodded her head, understanding his reasons for keeping quiet. "Okay, I won't say anything. As long as you tell him right after the game."

"I will. Don't worry," he replied. "Thank you so much."

"Yeah, don't mention it," Rachel said, sitting back in her seat. Things were getting much more complicated.

* * *

Rachel walked through the party guests, this time in search for Finn. After her talk with Puck, all she wanted to do was leave the party, and she couldn't do that without telling Finn goodbye.

Though she was relieved to not have to be the one to break the news to Finn, she felt bad knowing the information. It was like a huge weight had suddenly been dropped on her shoulders, and she wasn't sure how she'd even be able to lift it.

Rachel suddenly felt someone grab her wrist to stop her in her tracks. She turned around to see Carole.

"Rachel! How are you enjoying the party?" Carole asked her, motioning for her to take the seat next to her.

Rachel did as she was asked and sat down next to Carole. "I'm having a wonderful time," she lied. Well, it wasn't totally a lie, she was having a good time prior to the events that occurred upstairs. "Everyone and everything has been lovely."

"I'm glad to hear it," Carole replied with a sweet smile on her face. "You know, though Finn would never actually say it, he's thrilled that you came down today. He really likes you, Rachel, I can see it in his eyes."

Rachel froze, letting Carole's words sink in. "He likes me?" She let the words linger in the air. "But he's with Quinn."

"I wouldn't be too worried about Quinn. I don't see her being around too much longer," Carole said. "I haven't liked her since the day Finn first brought her home to meet us. Hopefully he sees her true colors sooner or later."

Carole's words intrigued Rachel, "What do you mean by her true colors?"

Carole shrugged her shoulders, "I mean that Quinn seems fake to me. I'm afraid that she sees Finn as a ticket to fame and she's going to use him as a stepping stone to fame and fortune."

"You think she's just using him?" Rachel asked, thinking that Carole's assumptions may be spot on when it came to Quinn's true character.

"Yes. That's what I'm afraid of, at least," Carole replied.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Rachel questioned, finding it a bit unusual that Carole was bashing her son's girlfriend right in front of her.

"Because I know that you have feelings for Finn as well," Carole replied simply. As Rachel opened her mouth to object, Carole spoke again to stop her. "Deny it all you want, but I can see the connection between the two of you. I just want you to know that when it comes to Finn's relationship with Quinn, you shouldn't be too concerned. Finn's a smart boy, it just takes him a bit longer to see the truth in people. He'll have her figured out before too long."

"Well, thank you for telling me," Rachel said to her. A part of her conversation with Carole still remained in her head, and made her much happier. Finn liked her. He really did, he was just a bit blinded by Quinn.

Rachel said her goodbyes to Carole and then continued on with her search for Finn. Maybe she couldn't tell Finn the truth about Quinn, but perhaps she could prove to him that she would be much more suited for him that Quinn.

She walked back into the house, finding Sam sitting on the couch with Santana on one side and Puck on the other.

"Hey, Rachel," Sam greeted, "we were just about to watch some TV. Want to join us?"

"No thanks," Rachel replied, "I was actually just leaving and wanted to say goodbye to Finn. Have any of you seen him?"

"I think he went upstairs," Sam replied.

"Okay, thanks," she replied. "I guess I'll see you guys around then, it was nice meeting you." She turned away from them and walked up the stairs again. As soon as she reached the second level of the house, she heard Finn's voice coming from the room he said was his old bedroom.

She smiled and walked towards the half open door and peaked in before entering. She froze as she peered into the bedroom, wishing she was anywhere else. Inside the bedroom, she saw Finn lean down and place a kiss on Quinn's lips and pull her in closer to him.

Seeing him locked in an embrace with Quinn made her feel sick again, and she couldn't take any more of it. Rachel turned around on her heel and walked back down the stairs. She breezed past Santana, Sam, and Puck, and ran out the door before anyone could stop her.

She finally slowed down and took a deep breath once she was in her car again. She wished Finn Hudson didn't have such a strong impact on her.

* * *

**Review :)**

**Sorry for the shortness in this chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

Rachel walked into her loft after returning from the party. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and spend the evening watching Broadway classics on the television, the usual routine when she was having a lousy day. She would usually throw on her fluffiest pair of pajamas and wrap herself in a blanket cocoon on the couch, all of her favorite movies playing on a loop on the living room TV.

Just as Rachel was removing her shoes and dreaming on the movie marathon she was planning to have, she heard a knock at the door behind her. Confused by who the visitor might be, she turned around and opened the door, revealing Olivia.

Olivia's initial smile faded upon seeing Rachel's gloomy expression. "Hey, why the long face?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and stepped to the side so Olivia could walk in. "I've just had a pretty weird day, that's all."

Olivia walked into the room and placed her purse on the table next to the front door. She glanced at her phone briefly before turning to Rachel. "Well, then you're in luck. I have just the news that will certainly lift your spirits."

"I could use some good news," Rachel replied. "What is it?"

"Do you remember my friend Tom?" Olivia asked. "He's on the taller side and is always slightly overdressed?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Yeah, he was at your birthday party last year." She briefly smiled as she recalled Tom coming in a suit when everyone else was in simple casual wear. It ended up working out in his favor. A girl at the party who worked for the company that designed the suit was in attendance and they two ended up together. "Is he still dating that Ashley girl he met at the party?"

"Yep, that's him, and yes they are still together," Olivia confirmed. "Anyway, he knows someone who's planning on putting on a production of Wicked, and said that you'd be perfect for the job!"

"Really?" Rachel asked excitedly, "I've always wanted to be in Wicked!"

Olivia nodded her head, "Unfortunately auditioning is almost over and they're pretty sure they know who they want to cast as their lead, but they're willing to let you audition."

"So there's still a chance that I'll get it?" Rachel asked, receiving a nod from Olivia. "Okay. When's the audition?"

"That's kind of the catch," Olivia replied. "Like I said, it's nearing the end of the auditioning process. The audition is tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Rachel asked, "But that's so soon! I don't even know what song I should sing, or what I should wear!"

"Relax, Rachel," Olivia said calmly. "Just breathe. I'll leave you to it. You'll do great. Don't worry." She gathered her things up again, "I'll email you the information, like the time and place, when I get home."

"Okay," Rachel said, feeling overwhelmed. "Thanks, Olivia." She followed Olivia to the door and shut it behind her. Less than 24 hours to prepare for a big audition? Olivia was crazy to think Rachel would be able to pull off such a task. She supposed that she could use the same audition piece she did for Funny Girl, she still knew it like the back of her hand, and it already landed her one main role. It could most likely get her a spot in the Wicked cast.

Rachel headed to the spare bedroom, where she kept all her sheet music. She dug through her filing cabinet and pulled out the lyrics to _On My Own_. Yes, this would work out. This was her favorite auditioning song, it had to work.

The sound of her cell phone ringing back in the other room captured her attention, and she set off to answer it. She walked back to the living room and glanced at the caller ID, seeing Finn's name displayed across it. She inwardly groaned, not exactly wanting to deal with that whole situation, but knowing that she had to.

She pressed the answer button with her thumb and lifted the device to her ear, "Hello?"

"Hey, Rachel!" Finn cheerful voice came through, "What happened to you today? I looked all over for you until Sam told me that you left."

"Oh, yeah," Rachel replied, trying to come up with something on the spot. "Olivia called me and said she had something important to tell me and I needed to come home right away." She didn't see much harm in telling a little white lie, it was party true, after all. "I wanted to say goodbye, but I couldn't find you."

"Oh," Finn said, "What did Olivia have to say?"

"It turns out that our whole relationship to create publicity thing is working! I have an audition!" Rachel told him excitedly.

"Really? That's great news!" Finn said, "What is the audition for? Maybe I've heard of it."

"It's Wicked," Rachel answered. "Surely with Kurt being your brother you've heard it mentioned at least once."

"Yes, I've definitely heard of it," Finn replied. "It's one of Kurt's favorites. He made me watch it with him a few times before."

"Maybe you two can come and see the show together on opening night together," Rachel said, mainly hoping he'd come and see her on opening night. "Assuming I do get the part, of course."

"I'm sure you'll get it," Finn replied. "And of course I'll be there. And Kurt will too. Speaking of Kurt, he was pretty bummed he didn't get to say goodbye to you earlier too. I wish you didn't have to go so soon. You didn't even get to meet Quinn."

Rachel shifted around uncomfortably at the mention of Quinn's name. "Yeah, too bad. I did see a glimpse of her though, she was talking to Santana I think."

"Oh, you did?" Finn asked, "At least you know of her. I can't wait for you to actually meet her. I think you'll like her, she's such a good person."

Rachel fidgeted around, knowing very well that there was little truth to his words. She could hardly stand seeing him be used the way he was, and she cared too much for him to let Quinn lie to him in the way that she was. "Finn?" she said with determination, confident in what she knew she had to tell him.

"Yeah, Rachel?" he responded, and she noticed the calmness and happiness to his voice.

She sighed, knowing that Puck was right. Finn was happy at the moment, happier than most of the guys on the team. With the game only being about a week away, she couldn't ruin his spirits.

"Thanks for inviting me over today," she finally replied. "I had a wonderful time."

"Oh, yeah, it's really no problem," Finn said. "My mom was happy to have you over."

She smiled, even though she knew Finn couldn't see her face. "You have a lovely family, Finn. Don't ever stop appreciating that. It's very easy to be so unaware of what you have until you lose it, and I don't want to see that happen to you."

Finn obviously saw through to the meaning hidden within her words, "Rachel, don't let your dads get to you. If they can't see what a wonderful person you've become with Broadway in your life, then they don't deserve you, at all. Just look at how far you've come without them. You're amazing. A true inspiration."

Rachel couldn't help the blush from spreading across her face, "Thanks, Finn. Really, thank you. I know that this whole thing between us is only supposed to be a temporary thing, but I hope we can stay friends for a long, long time."

There was a pause on the other end of the line until Finn finally spoke up again, "Me too, Rachel. Me too."

* * *

Rachel arrived at the theatre super early the next day and prepared in the lobby as she waited for her time slot. After her phone conversation with Finn the night before, she practiced her audition song nearly a hundred times before she was satisfied. Being the lead in Wicked would boost Rachel's career even more. Though she just played Fanny Brice, she was still new to the Broadway circuit, and it never hurt to add even more to one's resume.

She felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket, indicating a new text message. She pulled it out and read the new message across the screen.

_**Good luck today, you're going to do great – Olivia**_

Rachel smiled before putting the phone back into her pocket. Olivia always knew what to say to make her feel better.

A woman stepped out from the auditorium and scanned a sheet of paper. "Rachel Berry?" She read out loud.

Rachel eagerly stepped forward, "That's me!" She gathered her belongings and followed the lady into the auditorium.

"So," the girl said, reading more off the paper in front of her. "You're auditioning for Elphaba?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Yes I am."

"And you plan on singing On My Own as your audition piece?" the girl asked, checking off a few boxes on the paper with the pen she held in her hand.

"Yes," Rachel replied, stopping with the girl next to a large black door.

"Okay," the girl said, finally putting her clipboard down. "Mr. Will Schuester is both our casting director and the show director for this production. When you see the red light turn green, that means that he is ready for you to audition." She pointed up towards a light on the wall. "Good luck." She grabbed her clipboard and walked away from Rachel.

Rachel gulped, Will Schuester? She had heard of him before, but what she heard wasn't all that great. He was an excellent director, but very, very tough.

The red light illuminating on the wall suddenly turned green, and Rachel took a deep breath. She pushed open the door and walked out onto the stage, looking at the magnificent theatre around her. She saw a few people seated at a desk a few rows back, flipping through paperwork rapidly.

"Hello, Rachel," a man's voice said.

Rachel stood in front of the microphone that was placed in the center of the stage. "Hello."

"My name is Will Schuester," the voice continued, "and these are my good friends, Emma Pillsbury and Shannon Beiste."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Rachel replied.

"You as well," Will said. "You may start when you're ready."

Rachel cleared her throat and began singing, hoping that Will was pleased with what she gave to him.

_On my own _

_Pretending he's beside me _

_All alone _

_I walk with him 'til morning _

_Without him, I feel his arms around me _

_And when I lose my way, I close my eyes and he has found me _

_In the rain _

_The pavement shines like silver _

_All the lights are misty in the river _

_In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight _

_And all I see is him and me forever and forever _

_And I know it's only in my mind _

_That I'm talking to myself and not to him _

_And although I know that he is blind _

_Still I say there's a way for us _

_I love him _

_But when the night is over _

_He is gone _

_The river's just a river _

_Without him, the world around me changes _

_The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers _

_I love him _

_But every day I'm lonely _

_All my life I've only been pretending _

_Without me, his world will go on turning _

_The world is full of happiness that I have never known _

_I love him _

_I love him _

_I love him... _

_But only on my own.._

Just like usual, she felt a tear drop roll down her cheek and she gently lifted a hand to wipe it off.

"Thank you, Rachel," Will's voice came through the microphone. "We will be in touch soon."

"Thank you," Rachel replied. She stepped back from the microphone and exited the stage. She hated to let herself get her hopes up, but she honestly felt like she did very well. She felt even more confident than she did during her Funny Girl audition, which turned out to be very successful.

As soon as Rachel stepped outside of the theatre, she called Olivia to tell her how the audition went.

She couldn't wait to get the call from Will with the results of her audition.

And after her good talk with Finn the night before, she couldn't wait to see him either.

Things were going good.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

After her Wicked audition, Rachel became practically glue to her cell phone. She always kept it on the counter while she showered and right beside her pillow when she slept. She and her cell phone were like two peas in a pod. They did everything together. She knew that she couldn't miss the phone call from Will.

Wednesday morning, the day after her audition, she and Olivia were sitting on the couch watching some TV together. Not for anything business related, just hanging out. An activity they rarely did together.

"So, you really think they should be calling soon?" Rachel asked Olivia as she twirled her phone in her hands.

"I would assume so," Olivia responded. "Apparently they were almost certain on who they wanted to play the part, all they had to do was decide between you and the other girl. Will moves fast. Shouldn't take him too long."

Rachel nodded her head, glancing at her phone screen for the thousandth time that morning. Still, no call from Will.

"Okay," Olivia said with an exhausted sigh, forcing Rachel to tear her eyes away from her phone screen. "You shouldn't be isolated in here all day staring at your phone screen. You need to get out."

"And what do you suggest I do?" Rachel asked, honestly not in the mood to spend the whole day out with Olivia. She could only handle so much of her.

"There haven't been many recent pictures of you and Finn together, and we need to keep talk of the two of you out there," Olivia stated, "Want me to text Peter and see what Finn is up to today?"

Rachel smiled, really liking the sound of that idea, "Yeah, sure, I could go for a day out with Finn."

"Okay, I'll try to set something up," Olivia responded. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Peter. "I heard that you went over to his parents' house for a party?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Yeah, it was a barbeque. It wasn't anything to promote our relationship, just to hang out, outside of work. It was really nice."

"That's nice," Olivia replied. "It's good for you two to really get to know each other. Good for interviews and stuff like that. You want your relationship to seem as real as possible. And plus, if an interviewer gets ahold of his mother for some reason, it'll be better if she actually knows you. It'll seem even more real."

"Yeah," Rachel said, "And it's not really just about this whole publicity thing. I actually really do like him." Olivia looked up at Rachel at her last phrase and Rachel quickly covered for herself, "As a friend, I mean."

"Right," Olivia said, clearly not convinced. "Peter just texted me back, he said that Finn can meet you for lunch at the diner on Fourth Street. Okay?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Yeah that sounds good. I'll go get a shower real quick and then I'll be ready to go."

"Okay," Olivia replied. "Hey, Rachel," she said, stopping Rachel before she went to her bedroom. "Are you sure you and Finn are really just friends, and only faking a relationship?"

Rachel nodded her head, "Yes. We're just friends."

"You know, it wouldn't be a bad thing if it turned into something real. Not just for your career's sake, but because it would be good for you," Olivia said honestly. "You've seemed much happier since you met him, and I think it's really nice."

Rachel smiled, "Thanks, but I don't think he sees me that way. I'm probably just the girl helping him climb the ladder to the top." She knew what Finn's mom had told him the other day, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. Maybe Finn did like her in that way, but he certainly hadn't realized it yet, and she couldn't just wait around for him to come to his senses.

"Don't give up hope so easily," Olivia told her, "and for the record, I've seen the way that boy looks at you. You are much more than just a helping hand."

"Thanks, Olivia," Rachel said. "I'm going to go and shower now." She turned around and walked into her bedroom, trying not to let Olivia's words get too much into her head.

"You do you," Olivia replied.

* * *

Rachel decided to walk to the diner that afternoon, because it wasn't a long walk at all from her building and because walking all alone to her lunch with Finn would most likely attract more attention, and the more attention the better.

Now that she had her foot in the door of Wicked, she needed to keep her name out there to get more people to come and see the show. This whole publicity thing wasn't just about getting the auditions, but also to keep her fans on her feet, always wanting to know what she planned to do next.

Rachel's plan didn't seem to be as effective as she thought it would, because as she walked down the streets of Manhattan, she saw no photographers. On the main strip of the city she was currently on, she assumed that they would be swarming around her as she walked. They even warmed her when she was just in town to pick up a carton of milk or something small like that.

After only a few more minutes of walking, the small diner came into view, and she saw Finn sitting alone at a circular table outside as he looked over a menu. She took a moment to admire him before she approached him, and also to scold herself for being so attracted to him.

Finn looked up from his menu when Rachel came into his line of sight, and a smile formed on his face. "Hey, Rachel."

_God, even his voice was the sexiest thing she'd ever heard._

_Snap out of it, Rachel._

"Hey, Finn!" she replied, "How are you today?"

"Much better now," he answered, making her blush. "I thought I was going to be spending a lazy day at home, but instead I get to spend my afternoon with you. Sounds like a good day to me."

"Same here," she said, picking up her own menu and looking over the options. "Have you decided what you plan on ordering yet?"

"It's a toss-up between a grilled chicken sandwich and a cheeseburger," he told her, looking down at his menu again. "I'm a big fan on classic burgers, but I've heard that they make really good chicken here."

Rachel nodded her head, "I've actually heard that too, but I don't eat meat. I think I'm just going to get the garden salad."

"You don't eat meat?" Finn questioned.

"No," Rachel replied, setting her menu at the edge of their table. "I'm a vegetarian. I used to be vegan in high school, but here in New York the vegan cuisine is fairly limited so I switched."

Before Finn could reply to her, the waitress came up their table. "Hey, my name is Sue and I'll be taking care of you today. Have you decided what you plan on ordering?"

Rachel smiled up at Sue, "I'll have the garden salad, please." She handed Sue he menu and turned to Finn.

"I think I've had enough of the same old, same old. I'll try something new. I'll have the grilled chicken sandwich," Finn said.

"That's a good choice," Sue said, taking his menu. "I'll get this right in for you."

Rachel smiled to Sue as she walked off before turning her attention to Finn. "You know what's weird?" She began, taking a sip from the glass of water in front of her.

"What's weird?" Finn asked.

"When I was walking here just now, I didn't see any paparazzi. It's not that I don't love spending time with you, but wasn't this whole arrangement to create buzz about us? Where is everyone?"

Finn nodded his head, "You know, I noticed that too when I came here. They're usually lurking around in every square inch of this city."

"Well, regardless whether or not we are photographed together today or not, I'm still happy I get to spend the day with you," Rachel said.

"Me too," Finn replied with a smile. He held up his glass to her, "To us."

Rachel tapped her glass against his, "To us." She took a sip of her water.

Rachel took the last bite of her salad just as Finn took the last bite of his sandwich. They both smiled, knowing that it was some of the best food they had in a while.

"This was seriously so good," Rachel commented, putting her fork and napkin back on the table.

"Agreed," Finn said. "Going with the chicken was such a good choice. We're going to have to come here more often."

Rachel smiled slyly at him, "Are you asking me on another date, Finn Hudson?"

Finn chuckled, "As the fake boyfriend, I think it's my responsibility to take you on as many dates as possible."

Before Rachel could reply, Finn's phone chimed, indicating a new text message. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and read the message on the screen.

"It's Peter," Finn informed her. "He said that Marley Rose, the new lead actress in that show for Fox is in town. All the paparazzi are with her. That's why there's no one around."

"Oh," Rachel replied. "So there's basically a zero chance of a picture being snapped of us together all day?"

"Basically? Yes," Finn replied with a chuckle. "But whatever, it doesn't matter, I'm still having a good day with you." He took a sip of his water. "So, how'd the audition go?"

Rachel's face lit up at the mention of her audition, "Very well. I'm waiting for the call now to see whether I got it or not."

"Cool," Finn said with a smile. "But isn't it usually a while before you get the call on whether or not you got the part?"

"In most cases, yes, but because I auditioned so late and they already had most of the cast picked out already, we're expecting them to be fairly quick about it," Rachel explained.

"I wouldn't worry too much about getting the call," Finn told her. "You're going to get it. I'm sure of it."

Rachel smiled, "Thanks Finn." She suddenly heard her cell phone ringing from her back pocket. "That's probably Olivia calling to tell me about the whole Marley thing." She held her phone out in front of her, her eyes widening as she read the name displayed on the screen. "Finn," she stammered, "It's Will. It's the director."

Finn's eyes lit up, "Answer it!"

Rachel nodded her head, and excused herself from the table, walking away and answering the phone. "Hello?"

"Rachel, hello," Will's voice came through the phone. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," Rachel said, pacing around the area anxiously. "How are you?"

"I've been having a pretty good day," Will answered. "I just decided on my cast list for the show, so I'm pretty excited about that."

"Oh," Rachel replied, wishing the small talk was over with and that he would just tell her why he called already. "I'm sure who you picked is an excellent choice."

"Well, I'm sure you would think so," Will replied. "Rachel, I'm calling to tell you that you received the part for Elphaba."

"Really?" Rachel asked excitedly, her face breaking out into a wide smile. "That's fantastic news! Thank you so, so much."

"Of course, Rachel. We absolutely loved your audition, and are confident you will make an excellent addition to our cast," Will said. "Rehearsals start on Monday. You will shortly be receiving an email with all the necessary information."

"Okay, thanks again," Rachel replied. "I guess I'll see you on Monday then."

"Yes, we will be seeing you then," Will replied. "Goodbye, Rachel."

"Bye," she said before hanging up the phone. She turned around and hurried back over to Finn, who was anxiously waiting to hear the good news.

"So?" Finn asked her when she reached him. "What did he have to say?"

"I got the part!" Rachel squealed.

"Really? That's amazing!" Finn said, returning her enthusiasm. He opened his arms, and allowed her to jump into them for a hug.

Rachel wrapped her arms around his neck, and let him spin her around several times. As soon as the hug ended, she pulled her head back, and without thinking she impulsively pressed her lips against his. As soon as she felt his lips tense up against hers, reality washed over her and she immediately tore herself away from his embrace.

"Rachel," he said with an awkward chuckle, "There's no cameras around."

"Yes," she said nervously, "I must have forgotten." She looked up into his eyes, and knew that he knew the kiss was real. _Crap. _"I really should get going. I need to tell Olivia about the part." She quickly gathered her things from the table.

"Rachel, wait," Finn said, still trying to process what was happening.

"I'm sorry Finn, but I have to go." Rachel held her purse to her side, and hurried out to the side of the street, lifting her arm to signal a taxi.

Just before she climbed into the taxi, she sent Finn once last glance, taking in his shocked expression.

What had she done?

* * *

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	8. Chapter 8

It was Friday night, the day before the big game, and everyone was at Puck's place celebrating the start of the season. It was kind of a tradition for the team, to have a huge party before game one, and this year it just happened to be hosted by Puckerman. The party ended up being like most of Puck's parties. Big and loud.

Having been Finn's 'fake' girlfriend, Rachel was of course invited. There was always a chance that the paparazzi would be hiding out at one of these parties. Olivia encouraged Rachel to attend the party since with the paparazzi mishap a few days earlier, she and Finn really needed some photos taken together.

Rachel would have been more than happy to attend the party, had she and Finn not been in the unique predicament they recently found themselves in. Well, necessarily them, since it was her fault, after all. Rachel played the kiss over and over again in her head, wishing she hadn't made such a careless mistake.

Regardless of how she felt about the kiss, that still made her toes tingle when she replayed it in her mind, she couldn't take it back. She and Finn had to be adults about this. They were supposed to meet up at the party as dates, and they couldn't do that if they were all awkward and fidgety with one another.

After Rachel left the diner after their kiss she and Finn didn't talk. She almost expected him to call or something, not that she'd know what to say to him, but she thought he would want to figure out what happened. She was feeling extremely anxious for their meeting at the party, and she was having trouble keeping her composure.

Yes, Rachel did like Finn as way more than a friend, but if she could only have him as a friend she could deal with that. All she could do was hope that she didn't screw things up so terribly that he didn't even want to see him anymore.

Rachel slowly walked through Puck's home, and looked around at all the people. She didn't recognize anyone hardly, and she was feeling extremely out of place. All of the other guests had at least one friend to hang around with, and Rachel stood out like a sore thumb as she stood all by herself.

"Hey, Rachel," a voice behind her called out, and she turned around to see Sam.

"Oh, Sam, I'm so glad to see you!" she exclaimed, happy that she finally found someone that she knew.

"I know, with this crowd it can be easy to feel alone," Sam replied. "So, have you seen Finn yet?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, I don't think he's here yet. I've looked all over for him."

"That's weird," Sam commented. "Quinn's here and she said she hasn't heard from him since Wednesday morning. I wonder what happened to him."

Sam's latest words captured Rachel's attention even more. "He hasn't spoken to Quinn yet?" She asked him.

Sam gave her a questioning look, "What do you mean by 'yet'? Did something happen?"

Rachel sighed and looked up into Sam's eyes. She was seriously considering telling him what happened, because she was getting a little tired of keeping the truth bottled up inside, and Sam seemed like a nice guy that she could trust. "We were out to lunch on Wednesday, and there were no photographers because of the big Marley Rose scene. I got a call with really good news, and when I told Finn about it, I accidentally got so caught up in the moment, that I kissed him."

Sam's eyes widened, "What happened?"

"I panicked," Rachel answered. "I've had feelings for him since the first day I met him, but I wasn't going to act on those feelings. I keep thinking that he might feel the same way about me, but he seems to be perfectly content with Quinn. Even though she…" her voice trailed off.

"Even though she cheated on Finn with Puck?" Sam guessed the ending to her sentence.

"Wait, you know about Puck and Quinn?" Rachel asked.

Sam nodded his head, "Yes. Quinn told Santana and Santana told me." He shifted on his feet. "Anyone who is thinking clearly could guess that Quinn's a selfish spoiled little brat, and none of us can wait for Finn to see the truth and dump her."

"If that's how you really feel, then why haven't you said anything to Finn?" Rachel asked him.

"It's not my place to say anything," Sam replied. "I wasn't involved in this mess at the beginning, and I really don't want to get myself involved now. Plus, I talked to Puckerman and he promised that he was going to tell Finn after the game… tomorrow."

The realization hit Rachel at about the same time it did Sam. The game was tomorrow, which meant the truth was coming out… tomorrow.

"How do you think Finn's going to take it?" Rachel asked, knowing that Sam knew Finn better than she did.

Sam shrugged his shoulders, "Hard to say, but it can't be too good. Finn's a very trusting person, and it'll hurt to learn that someone betrayed that trust. Especially someone he's known since elementary school."

Rachel nodded her head, "Yeah… still, I feel bad that all this is happening to him. He's such a good guy, and he doesn't deserve to he lied to this way."

Sam looked to Rachel, "You really do like him, don't you?"

Rachel bit her lip and nodded her head a little, "Yeah, I really do."

"Well, if it means anything to you, I think that if Finn's smart, he won't let a girl like you out of his grip," Sam told her.

"Thank you, Sam," Rachel said, and she gave him a small hug. "You're such a sweet guy. Santana's lucky to have you in her life." She pulled away from his embrace, "I'm going to go try to find Puck and ask if he's seen Finn anywhere."

"Okay, good luck finding him," Sam said. "I'll see you around."

"Yeah, see you," Rachel said, before running back off into the crowd, this time in search of Puckerman. It didn't take her long to find him at all, seeing as he was standing right beside the beer keg, handing out drinks to all of his guests. Since he and the other football guys couldn't drink much for the sake of avoiding a hangover for the big game, the least he could do was let everyone else enjoy the wonders of alcohol.

"Hey, Rachel," he greeted, "Come for a drink?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, I did not. I came to ask you if you've seen Finn anywhere. I don't think he's here."

"He texted me a little bit ago," Puck replied. "He said he'd be a little late tonight. He mentioned something about needing to think some things over."

"Did he mention what he needed to think about?" Rachel asked him, receiving a 'no' from Puck. "Okay, then, thanks anyway. Let me know of you see him."

"Yeah I will," Puck replied. "Oh, and Rachel, I heard about the audition. Congrats."

"Thanks," Rachel said with a smile. She walked away from him and maneuvered herself through the crowd again, walking towards the non-alcohol filled coolers in the back of the room. She pulled out a water bottle and took a long drink, watching all the people around her dancing to the music and having a good time.

She set the water bottle down on a table and headed to the door, wanting to get a breath of fresh air. As soon as she stepped outside, she felt the cool night air hit her face, and it felt so good. She gazed down the street, looking at the many cars parked along the side of it.

Rachel walked around to the side of the house, where there was a long patio area where she could sit down and take a break from the party. As she neared the patio, she noticed someone else sitting there, and she walked closer to see who the person was.

"Finn?" she called out, and the person lifted their head, revealing the identity as Finn.

"Rachel," he breathed, looking at her almost as if she was a ghost.

"Hey," she said to him sitting down in the chair across from him. She knew it was a lame thing to say, but she didn't know what else to say.

"Hey," he replied, his gaze falling anywhere but on her.

She took a deep breath and decided not to ignore the elephant in the room. "Look, Finn, I'm sorry I kissed you the other day. I shouldn't have done it. I crossed the line."

He finally looked into her eyes, and she noticed the sadness pooling inside of them. "Why did you do it?"

"I don't know," she answered, "I guess I was just so caught up in the moment, and at the time, it just seemed like the thing to do."

"The right thing to do?" Finn questioned, the volume of his voice intensifying a little. "Do you know how much that kiss messed with my head? God, Rachel, I fought my attraction to you so much, and just when I finally think I'm getting over you, you kiss me, and I like you even more than I did before."

"You like me?" Rachel asked, her heart skipping a beat. His mother had already made her aware of this fact, but actually hearing him admit to it changed everything.

"Of course I do, Rachel," Finn replied, his voice lowering again. "You're amazing, you're talented, and you're beautiful. Inside and out." His gaze lowered, "but I'm with Quinn."

"Why?" Rachel asked, causing his eyes to connect with hers again. "Why are you with her? What is it about her that makes her so special?"

"Why has everyone been asking me that question lately?" Finn asked, becoming angrier than before. "My mom, my friends, my brother, and now you. It's like you all have some reason to hate her and I don't know what that reason is, and you, you don't even know her!"

"I don't have to know her to be able to form an opinion of her, Finn," Rachel replied, becoming a tad angry as well.

"What does that even mean?" Finn asked, "What could she have possibly done to make everyone I know dislike her so much?"

"_She cheated on you!"_

The words slipped out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she instantly regretted them when she saw the look on his face.

"She what?" Finn asked, his voice much quieter this time.

"Finn, I am so sorry," Rachel said quickly. "I shouldn't have told you that. I am so, so sorry."

He shook his head, looking extremely devastated. "I need to go." He stood up and quickly fled the area before Rachel could stop him.

Rachel began to panic. She thought she crewed things up before with the kiss… that was nothing. She really did it this time. She messed it up for Finn, Quinn, and the football team. They were supposed to play the big game tomorrow, and Rachel might have put their game into jeopardy. She had to warn Puck.

She ran back into the house and found Puck, still by the drink table.

"What is it?" he asked upon seeing her horrified expression.

"I might have really messed things up."

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9

"_I might have really messed things up."_

"What is that supposed to mean?" Puck asked her, folding his arms across his chest.

"It means that I broke a promise," Rachel replied, breathing heavily. "I ran into Finn outside, and we got into this argument about Quinn, and I accidentally made a slip. I told him that Quinn cheated on him. But I didn't tell him it was with you."

"Oh, shit," Puck said, running a hand through his hair. "What did he say? What did he do?"

"He just left before I could really say anything else," Rachel told him. "And he didn't say where he was going. I am so sorry."

"No, it's okay," Puck assured her. "He needed to know, and I understand that it was all just an accident. We do need to find him though, before he does something stupid. He always acts irrationally when his mind is screwed up."

Rachel nodded her head, agreeing that they needed to find him. "Any ideas on where he might have gone?"

"He has a few usual places. We can split up and search. It'll be quicker," Puck said. "You go to his house and I'll check out the football stadium. Quinn's place is on the way there so I'll stop by."

"Okay, sounds good. I'll call you if I find him," Rachel said.

"Okay," Puck said. "Meet me back here in an hour if you can't find him, okay?"

"Will do," Rachel replied, and she turned on her heel to head out the door. She walked half way down the street until she reached her parked car. She climbed into the vehicle and started the engine. Once the car was all warmed up and ready to go, she sped off down the street towards Finn's apartment.

It wasn't a far drive at all, and when she pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, she realized that she hadn't seen the inside of Finn's place yet. She shook her head, for that should not be her main concern. She scoped out the parking lot and saw Finn's car parked in its usual spot.

Rachel rushed out of the car and walked into the building, walking as fast as her legs would allow her to. His apartment was on the sixth floor, and the elevator was temporarily out of order, so she ran as fast as she could up the flight of stairs. By the time she reached her desired floor, she was heaving loudly, trying to catch her breath. She mustered up the energy to walk up to Finn's door and give it a gentle knock.

She listened carefully and heard from movement inside, but nothing else happened from there. She knocked again, louder this time. Still nothing.

"Finn, I know you're in there," she called through the door. "Please open the door." After another moment of silence she knocked yet again. "Please, Finn, just talk to me."

She rested her forehead against the door and pulled her cell phone from her pocket to send a text message to Puck. _Finn's here, but he won't talk to me. –R_

Rachel knocked one last time, and still got no response. "Fine," she said through the door. "I'll leave." She slid her phone back into her pocket and turned around, heading towards the exit stairs. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the door open behind her, and she saw Finn standing in the door way.

"Finn," she breathed and walked back to him, stopping only a few feet in front of him. She noticed that his eyes were red his hair messy. He looked terrible, but she still found him as gorgeous as usual. "Finn, I am so sorry."

He looked down at her and offered her a small, very small, smile. "Do you want to come in?"

Rachel nodded her head and stepped into his place, immediately noticing the Finn-ness of his own apartment. She turned to face him again, and she gently placed a hand on his cheek. "I shouldn't have told you what I did. It wasn't my place to say anything to you."

He took her hand and led her over to the couch, sitting down and patting the spot next to her. He waited for her to sit down with him before speaking. "I guess I just don't understand it. I mean, looking back, I can see the signs that Quinn wasn't always as… pure as I thought she was. But… how did you know?"

"I found out at the barbeque," she answered. "I went upstairs to use the restroom, and I overheard Quinn talking about it with Santana."

"Do you know who?" Finn asked, and Rachel really wished he hadn't.

"It was Puck," she told him, and her heart broke when she saw his blank expression upon hearing the news. "It wasn't intentional, and Puck feels really bad. He said he was planning on telling you as soon as the game was over." She waited a moment for him to respond, but got nothing from him. "Please say something."

He looked over at her, "What am I supposed to say, Rachel? I just found out my girlfriend cheated on me with my best friend."

"I'm sorry, Finn," Rachel said, and she looked down at the floor, not knowing what to do or say next.

"I'm sorry too," he replied, "for yelling at you earlier. You haven't done anything wrong, and yet here you are, stuck in the middle of all this drama."

"It's okay, Finn," she said. "You had every reason to be upset with me. Especially considering what happened on Tuesday. I shouldn't have kissed you, and I shouldn't have said anything about Quinn earlier today."

"Hey," he said gently, "Do you remember what else we talk about earlier today? Regarding that kiss? I wasn't lying. Since the moment I ran into you in that store, I knew there was something about you. Something special."

She smiled, and rested her head against his shoulder, feeling him wrap an arm around her. Her hear was melting, and for the first time in the past few days she felt like things might turn out all right.

"Do you want to maybe stay here for a while?" Finn asked her suddenly. "We can just hang out, and maybe pretend for a little while that everything's okay."

"I'd like that," she responded. Finn reached out in front of them and pressed the power button on the TV and put a movie on. He then grabbed the blanket that was draped across the couch and wrapped it around both of them. "This is nice," Rachel commented.

"What?" he asked, looking down into her eyes.

"Being here together, just the two of us, not because we were told to but because we want to," Rachel said.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked, scooting in closer to her.

"You can ask me anything," Rachel replied, smelling the cologne he was wearing.

"Would it be okay if I kissed you right now?" he asked, his eyes glancing between her eyes and her lips a few times.

She took a deep breath, "I don't want you to rush into something so soon after Quinn. I like you Finn, a lot more than I'd like to admit, but if anything is going to happen between us I want to be certain that it will grow into something more. And right now, you haven't even officially ended things with Quinn."

His gaze dropped and he looked sadly to the floor at her words. "I guess that makes sense."

"But if you wanted to cuddle or something like that, I wouldn't be opposed," she said, and she watched as the smile she loved came back to his face.

He wrapped an arm around her again and pulled her into his side. She felt him kiss the top of her head and she nestled herself even deeper into his side.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door, and Finn groaned.

"Maybe if we're quiet, they'll go away," Finn whispered, and then there was another knock at the door.

"Finn, go get the door," Rachel said with a giggle.

Finn untangled himself from her and quickly placed a kiss on her cheek, "Is that okay? Cheek kisses?"

Rachel smiled and nodded her head, "More than okay."

"Awesome," Finn replied and kissed her cheek several more times before Rachel giggled and pushed him in the direction of the door. Rachel watched as he stumbled over to the front door, and he opened it quickly, freezing in place when he saw Puck standing outside the door. "What are you doing here?" Finn asked him, his grip on the door handle tightening.

"Finn, please just hear me out," Puck pleaded.

Finn glanced back at Rachel for a moment before letting out a breath, "Yeah, sure, come in."

Puck let out a look of relief and walked into the apartment. He sat down on the couch next to the one where Finn and Rachel were seated. "Finn, I am so sorry, about everything. You know that I'd never do anything to intentionally hurt you. It was a stupid, stupid drunken mistake, and it will never happen again."

"But why with her?" Finn asked. "You have hookups with random girls all the time. Why her?"

"Because I'm an idiot," Puck replied. "It was late, we were both trashed, and you know how emotionally attached Quinn gets when she's drunk. I am so, so sorry that it ever happened. You're my best friend, and I hope that you can forgive me."

"I guess I should have seen it coming," Finn said. "Quinn's been acting more distant lately. Not like her usual self, at all. I'm trying to sit here, and be all pissed off at everyone, but it's not working, because I'm not even that mad. I never even liked Quinn that much really. If anything I should be happy because this whole situation helped me to realize that I already had exactly what I wanted, right here in front of me." He smiled and took Rachel's hand in his.

"So, does this mean that you forgive me?" Puck asked, interrupting the sweet moment between Finn and Rachel.

Finn turned back to Puck, "Yeah, all is forgiven. No worries, man." Finn's phone began to ring in his back pocket and he pulled it out to see who was calling him. "It's Quinn," he said as he read the caller ID. "I'm going to take this." He stood up from the couch and stepped out into a different room.

"Did you end up stopping by Quinn's on the way to the stadium?" Rachel asked Puck.

Puck nodded his head, "Yeah. I called her after you texted me and told her that Finn knew the truth. She's pretty pissed. She would have been totally content with never telling Finn and spending the rest of forever living a lie."

"That's terrible," Rachel commented. "How could someone be such a cruel person?"

"That's Quinn for you," Puck replied. "She fights dirty. She lies and manipulates people for her own gain."

"When I talked to Finn's mom at the barbeque, she said that she thought Quinn was using Finn for fame," Rachel said. "She'll be thrilled to hear that things are over between Finn and Quinn."

"Mama Hudson was never Quinn's biggest fan," Puck said. "And I agree with her. Quinn was for sure interested in Finn because he was a free ticket to fame."

"What a shame that she was just using him like that," Rachel said with a small shake of her head.

"Yeah, but she's history now," Puck replied. "So, you and Finn, huh?"

Rachel smiled and couldn't stop the blush from forming on her face. "Yeah, but we're taking things slow."

"Still, I think it's nice that it's working out with you two. You are good for each other. For both your careers and for your actual well-being," Puck said.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "I'm happy with the way things have turned out."

"Okay," Finn said, walking back into the room. He sat down next to Rachel again and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I ended it with her. It's over. I am officially Quinn free."

"How'd she take it?" Rachel asked.

"Not well," Finn replied. "There was a lot of yelling. She refuses to accept that she did anything wrong, and she actually tried to blame me for her cheating. Saying how it was all my fault for starting the fake relationship with you and pushing her to cheat."

"Well, it's all over and done with now," Rachel said.

"Think you're ready to play in the game tomorrow?" Puck asked him.

Finn looked at both Puck and Rachel, and smiled. "We're going to totally kick some ass tomorrow."

* * *

**Review :)**

**The next chapter will be the last one!**


	10. Chapter 10

**The final chapter!**

**Because of the overwhelming amount of you who have requested more of this story, I have decided to start on a sequel, and I actually intend to follow through on this idea unlike previous promises of a sequel. I'm thinking of involving some story lines of the evolution of Finn and Rachel's relationship, some conflicts here and there of course, and maybe even a run in between Rachel and her dads! With Rachel's broken contact with her dads I feel that there's so much room for potential story lines there and I'm excited to explore those options! I hope you all like that idea :) It'll be called **_**Star Entwined **_**so be sure to look out for it :)**

* * *

"What do you think I should wear?" Rachel asked Olivia as she dug through her closet Saturday morning. "I don't really own any sports attire." She was getting ready to go to the game, and still hadn't decided on a suitable outfit.

"Just wear a red T-shirt or something," Olivia said. "It's a football game. You don't want to be too overdressed. Overdressed is always bad publicity."

"But I can't be under-dressed," Rachel replied, Olivia's words not calming her nerves any bit. "That's also considered to be bad publicity."

"Of course. Just wear a red T-shirt, dark skinny jeans, the ones you wore to your Aunt's birthday party, and then curl your hair in the cute way that you usually do," Olivia said.

"Okay," Rachel replied, "Yeah that would look nice." She pulled out the clothes Olivia suggested and quickly changed into them. "There. How do I look?" She turned in a circle to give Olivia the full view of her outfit.

"Perfect," Olivia replied.

"Good," Rachel said, walking into the bathroom and plugging her curling iron in. "Hey, Olivia?"

"Yeah?" Olivia replied, looking up from her phone screen.

"Remember how you and I had that discussion the other day about the extent of my relationship with Finn, and you said that we'd be good together?" Rachel asked.

"Yes I remember, and I'm sorry for that, Rachel. I shouldn't have overstepped my boundaries. I know that your relationship is purely fake," Olivia said.

"Actually, I just wanted to say thank you, for saying that to me," Rachel said. "Things are kind of happening between Finn and I, on a non-friendship level."

"Really? How so?" Olivia asked, looking very excited by this new news.

"He broke up with Quinn," Rachel replied, "and we hung out last night. And he told me that he liked me."

Olivia smiled, "That's really nice to hear. I'm glad things are working out, for real. Are the two of you an official thing?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, we are taking it slow, considering he ended it with Quinn not even 24 hours ago."

"Makes sense," Olivia replied. "Still, I'm happy for you. You two really are going to be New York's cutest couple after all!"

* * *

The stadium was packed. One of the biggest crowds Rachel had ever seen, actually. And here she thought Funny Girl attracted a big crowd. She and Olivia were given complementary seats next to Finn's family, and Rachel was beyond excited to be able to spend the afternoon with Kurt and Carole. She hadn't seen them since the barbeque, and she absolutely loved their company. Plus, she had a lot to tell them, considering Finn hadn't already beat her to it.

"Rachel's here!" Kurt exclaimed upon seeing Rachel and Olivia approaching the Hudson/Hummel clan.

"Hey, Kurt," Rachel said, giving him a hug. She hugged Carole next. "How is everyone doing today?"

"Excellent," Carole replied, "especially after we received a very interesting phone call from Finn this morning." By the elated look on Carole's face, Rachel knew that Finn told them everything.

"I seriously cannot believe that my stepbrother is dating the Rachel Berry," Kurt said. "It's the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me."

"And he's even designed costumes for a production of _Hair_, so you know he's thrilled," Blaine added in, making his presence known.

Rachel giggled, "Well, I'm thrilled that you all are so accepting of my relationship with your son and brother. You're all such a wonderful family, and I'm honored to know you."

Carole rested her hand over her heart, "Oh, Rachel, you're such a sweetheart. Finn sure is lucky to have you in his life."

"Yeah, it took him long enough to get rid of Quinn," Kurt said. "When we heard what she did to him, it took us all we had not to go over her house and kill her for him."

"And you have yet to see Kurt when he's angry," Blaine said. "It's not a very pretty site. He sets for blood."

"Mess with my hair, my outfit, or my family and you're dead meat," Kurt said, partially joking and partially dead serious. Still, Rachel laughed at his joke and faced forward again, looking out into the large football field. She checked the time on her watch, the game should be starting any minute.

Rachel looked beside her, watching as Burt told a joke, making the whole family laugh, and it was the first time that Rachel truly longed to have a family again. Finn really didn't know how lucky he was. But maybe, just maybe, he was the lucky one, being given the opportunity to share his family with him.

The Giants won with a landslide. They absolutely killed the other team, and left no mercy. They were on fire, or maybe it was their quarterback that led the team to such a strong victory.

Rachel made her way back to the locker rooms in search of Finn, Puck, or Sam after the players were dismissed from the field. She was allowed access to the players seeing as she was Finn Hudson's girlfriend, and it felt good for that actually to be true for the first time (she knew they weren't official yet, but still).

She saw Finn standing outside of the locker room with Puck and Sam, still wearing his sweaty uniform but without the shoulder pads and he looked _really_ good. When he turned and saw her coming his way, a huge smile erupted on his face.

"You won!" She cheered, jumping into his arms and feeling him lifting her up from the ground.

"I know!" he replied victoriously.

"We're going to leave you two alone," Sam said with a smirk, pulling Puck away with him to give the new couples some space.

"God, Rach, being out on that field was such an incredible experience," Finn said to her, "I can't even describe it."

"Perhaps it was a similar experience to receiving a standing ovation after a performance on the stage?" Rachel said with a small giggle.

"Probably," he laughed. He hugged her again. "Did you hear about the chaos that happened back here this morning before the game started?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, what happened? Is everyone okay?"

"Physically okay? Yeah. Mentally okay…?" Finn replied, "Quinn made an appearance when we were getting ready to have our standard pregame huddle."

"Oh, really?" Rachel asked, "What happened?"

"It was the usual Quinn meltdown," Finn responded. "There was screaming, there was hitting. Basically she chewed me out for treating her poorly, even though I did nothing and she caused all the damage, and then she started hitting Puckerman for spilling the secret, even though she's the one who told everyone. Security came in after a few minutes of that insanity and escorted her out, and the paparazzi got pictures of the exit. I can see the headlines now, 'Crazed fan breaks into locker room.' Any chance she had of becoming famous is now in the trash."

Rachel laughed, "That's karma for you!" She smiled and looked into his eyes, "You know, Finn, I've been thinking. Considering you and Quinn are over now, and you just won the game, and I'm feeling really happy here, in this moment, you can kiss me now. If you want to."

Another larger smile came to Finn's face and he scooped her up into his arms. "I want to." And then he pressed his lips against hers. He kissed her softly at first, and then slowly deepened it, sending them both into pure bliss.

Rachel was in paradise, having Finn really kiss her for the first time with no strings attached. She could really get used to that.

He lowered her down to her feet, a smile still glue to his face, "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Well, your mother did mention something about throwing an after party at her house," Rachel said.

"My mom is the Queen of celebratory parties," Finn replied, trailing small kisses around her face.

Rachel kissed his lips a few times, "How about you go and shower and then we'll head over together?"

"Sounds good, but on one condition," Finn said, pulling away from her to get a better look at her face. "We go as boyfriend and girlfriend."

Rachel smiled, "I think I love the sound of that."

* * *

"So, Rachel," Carole began as she and Rachel sat together at the party. "Tell me about Wicked. When do rehearsals start?"

"Monday," Rachel answered. "I'm super excited."

"That's wonderful," Carole said. She looked over to Kurt, who was seated next to her, before turning next to Rachel. "Do you know of anyone else that you might be working with?"

Rachel shook her head, "No, not yet. Why?"

"Kurt," Carole said, "Do you want to tell Rachel, or shall I?"

"Tell me what?" Rachel asked, looking between the two of them who were both wearing knowing smiles.

"I applied for the costume designer for the set, and I got the job!" Kurt exclaimed. "We'll be working together on the show!"

"Really? That's amazing!" Rachel exclaimed, sharing his enthusiasm. "You better make sure I look good."

Kurt laughed and then made a serious face, "Never question my fashion sense. It's a sixth sense."

"Oh, lord," Carole laughed, "That director has no idea what he's about to deal with."

Rachel smiled, before turning her attention to the door, where Finn was just walking into the room wearing a new change of clothes. She excused herself from the table and approached him, giving him a big hug.

"Hey, handsome," she said with a smile, placing a small kiss on his lips.

"Hey," he said, returning her kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist. "How are you doing?"

"How am I doing?" Rachel repeated, "I'm in the arms of the most incredible man I've ever met, surrounded by wonderful people who have been so welcoming to me this whole time, and I'm about to star in a huge Broadway production… with Kurt. I don't think I've ever been better than I am right now."

Finn smiled and placed a kiss on her lips, "Rachel, I promise I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you stay this happy."

She smiled brightly and kissed him again.

Life was _finally_ perfect.

* * *

**The End**

* * *

**So, I'd like to thank all of you who have taken the time to read my stories, you are all such wonderful people :) And I'd like to especially thank all of you who review or favorite/ follow my stories. Even though glee is coming to an end, I'd like to think we can all keep the show alive through this, fanfiction. Hopefully the spirit of the show remains alive for many years to come :)**

* * *

**Stay tuned for _Star Entwined _it'll be making an appearance before you know it :) Chapter one is in the works now!**


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